Yes, it finally stopped snowing and we finally got some sunshine AND the thermometer finally hit 60! Just a short thread to capture the ambiance - since we're supposed to be around 35 tomorrow  :-P

 

Of course, we start at the Avenue District:

 

 

The next batch of townhomes is shaping up nicely:

 

DCA Ambassadors doing their thing (shooing away the parasites panhandlers that are particularly obnoxious on this stretch:

 

Yyyyes!!! :clap:

 

Between the War Memorial statue and the Hope Guardians and this guy... there are some hotties in Cleveland! (inanimate, but oh well):

 

 

 

Pausing for lunch at the Arcade:

 

 

 

THE store for all things Cleveland!!!

 

An angle I'll never get tired of:

 

The Arcade is beautiful inside and out:

 

It's not one of the more well-known buildings downtown but I like the Superior Building's facade:

 

 

The Dollar Bank expansion at the Galleria - not too exciting but it'll improve this corner:

 

It's no Arcade but I like the Galleria when sunlight pours in:

 

And the food court - if they could ever get the retail component to be this busy, they'd be set!

 

Away from the lake, it is 68 degrees. Very windy.

 

Nice pictures.

Short and sweet!

Thanks for these great pics. I live in the WH district and have to go to the crummy burbs to work so its nice to spy on my city from this desk!

goteenb, welcome to UrbanOhio!

Nice stuff!

aw, those are nice!  I feel like today's a little preview of what's to come (shortly I hope).  Too bad I had to work through lunch today.

Nice pic  :clap:

nice. i think it was warm here in ny today too, but i wouldnt know i am home sick. so thx for getting me outside today!

Beautiful shots. I've encountered more than a few inanimate hotties over the years...  :roll:

 

Our temps got into the fifties today, but it's been raining for a while and now it's 38. Tonight's forecast calls for continued precipitation as temps fall into the 20s and wind picks up to 20-30mph. Probably yours tomorrow! :-D

Thanks for the pics Mayday.

 

Welcome aboard, goteenb. What's the evolution of your forum name?

 

My favorite pic:

 

Great shots!

A lot of people on the streets!

can you elaborate on the Dollar Bank expansion?

Sure, Dollar Bank currently has their offices in a low-profile spot in the first floor of the Tower at Erieview (aka behind the Galleria). They're moving from that spot to a much larger and much more prominent space at the corner of East 9th and St. Clair. In doing that, they're also going to be "opening" up that corner of the Galleria with glass replacing a lot of the panels and other enhancements:

 

 

I love downtown Cleveland.

Looking good!  I too like the Galleria overall.  I remeber when it first opened...mid-1980's...that place was always packed, and gave a small glimpse that there was indeed hope that life could one day return to downtown Cleveland.  The new location for Dollar bank was one of the first retail spaces to open up.  It debuted as a Banana Republic store...back when they sold Banana republic inspired clothing.  If you wanted to dress like you were about to go on a safari...BR was your store!!  Thanks for the pics.

Good to see people walking along Public Sq... I too am a big Galleria fan and was there the week it opened (1987?).  Tower City was under construction at the time and the Galleria was the 1st taste of a downtown shopping mall for Cleveland, and folks loved it.  But Tower City's opening in 1989/90 seemed to suck the life out of the Galleria, esp since the Galleria at the edge of downtown unlike TC at Public Square.  The Gal is still such a beautiful interior space and a gigantic upgrade over the cold/ugly Erieview plaza it replaced...Hopefully the new Avenue District going up across the street, and hopeful other residential spinoffs, will pump in more people and help make the Galleria more relevant once again... it deserves it.

Very urban and it's nice to see a crane there too. That's some quality infill you have going on. Not crazy about the Galleria: down with malls!

^The Galleria is a vast improvement over the wide swath of useless "plaza" that used to be there. From clevelandmemory.org:

 

^The Galleria is a vast improvement over the wide swath of useless "plaza" that used to be there. From clevelandmemory.org:

 

The only thing missing.  Top of the Town Restaurant.  :cry:

^Bring back the Top of the Town!?  God, the mere thought of it returning gives me chills; loved that place.  It offered the best views of Cleveland along with a very good meal.  Returning the Top back to Erieview would signal it/the Galleria's return in a big way... Conventional wisdom is those Top of the _____ restaurants weren't a good draw because people only see sterile office buildings from street level, and that's why they disappeared -- esp from the Stouffer's chain -- in so many cities like Cleveland.  (of course, the Top of the Town had the Galleria in its later years, but it's closing in 1995 seemed to mirror the struggles of the Galleria and downtown restaurant/retail, in general)... Then again, those folks haven't been to Chicago's Signature Room atop John Hancock building where, even with (very early) reservations, you'll wait 2 hours for a table most weekends and, sometimes, during the week.

 

Who knows, with the Avenue District finally seeming to fill out I.M. Pei's original Erieview dream, maybe the time's right to bring back the Top... MTS, would you be a principal new investor?  You open it and I'll... come back and eat.

I don't do restaurants. I'll eat at a good one repeatedly. 

If I was to invest in a retail store it would be clothing. :wink:

 

^The Galleria is a vast improvement over the wide swath of useless "plaza" that used to be there. From clevelandmemory.org:

 

The only thing missing.  Top of the Town Restaurant.   :cry:

 

 

 

 

 

And Higbees, Halles, and May Company.

And Millionaires Row on Euclid Avenue, and the Armory and the...!!!

And Higbees, Halles, and May Company.

And Millionaires Row on Euclid Avenue, and the Armory and the...!!!

 

As "the pope" would say......

 

"dear diary........"

 

LMAO!

 

 

OK....BACK ON TOP KIDS!

Back on topic and save the godd@mned nostalgia for a PBS special for god's sake - oh wait, they already did that!

 

Like Andi in Pretty in Pink told her divorcee dad - "SHE'S GONE AND SHE'S NEVER COMING BACK!!! WHY CAN'T YOU ACCEPT IT!?!?!?"

Back on topic and save the godd@mned nostalgia for a PBS special for god's sake - oh wait, they already did that!

 

Like Andi in Pretty in Pink told her divorcee dad - "SHE'S GONE AND SHE'S NEVER COMING BACK!!! WHY CAN'T YOU ACCEPT IT!?!?!?"

 

OK....that totally made me scream!  You and your one-liner throwbacks!!!!  LMAO!!

Awesome pics Mayday!!  I reallly reallly want to get out there sometime soon.  Does anyone know any good hotels downtown that aren't too expensive??    All that new construction makes me happy too.  Style wise, I love the direction new construction is going.

 

Wait at least a month - that way, you'll have pleasant (or more pleasant) weather. Hotels, I know some people have hotwired Embassy Suites and/or the Hyatt at the Arcade at less than $100 a night.

 

Whatever you do, avoid the Comfort Inn downtown.

Awesome pics Mayday!!  I reallly reallly want to get out there sometime soon.  Can anyone know any good hotels downtown that aren't too expensive??    All that new construction makes me happy too.  Style wise, I love the direction new construction is going.

 

 

per my assistant, although people say use hotwire or travelocity, you got more bang for your buck going right ot the hotel website and looking for any specials they might have.  Check www.kayak.com or travelzoo.com and then book that "rate" or "special" right on the hotels site.

The holiday inn express on euclid is also pretty nice with cheap rates.  The raddisson on prospect is slightly pricier but much nicer than you would think.

Is anyone else getting this when they click on this thread?  :wtf:

Is anyone else getting this when they click on this thread?  :wtf:

 

I'm glad I'm not the only person seeing this.  I just posted this in the security/forum issues thread.  very strange indeed.

Wait at least a month - that way, you'll have pleasant (or more pleasant) weather. Hotels, I know some people have hotwired Embassy Suites and/or the Hyatt at the Arcade at less than $100 a night.

 

Whatever you do, avoid the Comfort Inn downtown.

 

I was thinking about coming up over my spring break actually on hopes that the weather would cooperate haha.

Thanks for all of the info guys, I live about 5 hours away (near Williamsport, PA) and I would love to come to a Cleveland meet but it would be too much for just a day trip.  That's why I would probably stay for a night or two and check out the city.

When is your spring break? Perhaps a few of us could get together for lunch or a dinner downtown when you're here?

It's from the 16th to the 24th of this month.  I would love to come.

hooray for mayday's camera!